THERESA May has spent the morning in an urgent round of telephone diplomacy as she tries to convince European leaders she is still in control of Brexit after the shock legal decision to block her from triggering Article 50.

Theresa May is ringing up Brussels to try and calm fears over her Brexit timetable following the shock court decision

She spoke to European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a bid to persuade continental leaders the explosive legal case would not shake her from the pledge formally launch Brexit by April next year.

A statement from the Government said: “The PM explained to both Chancellor Merkel and President Juncker that while the government was disappointed with the judgment, it had strong legal arguments ahead of the case moving to the Supreme Court.

“The PM also confirmed that the government’s planned timetable for notification of Article 50 remains unchanged.”

THE SUN SAYS

'THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE VOTED OUT'

After the High Court ruling rocked Westminster, Brexit Secretary David Davis conceded that an act of Parliament would now be needed to trigger Article 50, with Mrs May’s spokeswoman stating his view was the “logical conclusion” to draw from the High Court judgment.

Former chancellor Ken Clarke said he vote against triggering Article 50

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry told the BBC: “I think that Article 50 is going to happen. I think that in the end Parliament will vote for Article 50 to be triggered.

“But the really good thing about this judgment … is that the Government will need now to come to Parliament and actually give us some basic terms on which they are going to negotiate Brexit. We do not allow the executive a free hand.”

Mr Juncker’s spokesman made it clear to reporters in Brussels that the phone call was taking place at the request of the Prime Minister, not Brussels.